The CITI Youth program introduces local High School students to GIS (Geographic Information Systems) technology and how it can be used as a tool for community decision-making. Participating students can apply for paid internships as Map Technicians at their local community board.
Paid Student Internships:
New York City high school students in grades 10 and above can apply for a semester-long, paid internship at their local community board office. One to two students per participating community district will be chosen to serve as their board's "Map Technician". To apply, students must complete a resume, cover letter and application form (assistance with the application process is available).
Prior to commencing work with the community boards, students will receive a four hour intensive training focusing on the organization and mandate of community boards and instruction on the set up of required hardware. Map Technicians are then required to attend each monthly community board meeting and each monthly meeting of the housing/land use committee of the board. At these meetings students are responsible for using a wireless computer and LCD projector (provided through CITI) to display maps from the CITI website of areas being discussed at the meeting.
Example: A developer is about to give a presentation to the community board about his proposed development at 789 Washington Street. He needs approval from the community board before he can purchase this land from the city in order to build a 12 story residential building. The CITI "Map Technician" enters this address into the CITI system and projects a detailed map of this location and its surrounding land uses on the wall, thus giving the board members a more complete look at the context surrounding a proposed development.
Compensation & Professional Development
Map Technicians must maintain a log of their meeting attendance and descriptions of the maps they create at each meeting, to be submitted in a monthly report. Participating students will receive course credit and/or a $300 stipend for their work. All students also must attend monthly professional development workshops aimed at further developing job skills and nurturing career goals. These monthly sessions unite students from across the city include: sharing of map technician experiences from the field; guest speakers from urban planning related fields, financial literacy training, group projects and site visits to architectural and urban planning firms.
Outcomes
Educators will be given resources for introducing map making and urban planning concepts into their course work.
Students will be trained in the use of the CITI online GIS tool and will be empowered by their important role at community meetings. They will also become proficient at the use of wireless laptops and LCD projection devices. In addition, students will become better acquainted with the work of their local community board and the major issues facing their neighborhood.
The community board will greatly benefit from this high tech resource and will achieve a higher level of analysis and credibility when considering land use decisions. Interaction with students from across the city provides students with peer learning opportunities while encouraging professional development.
Participating Schools/Youth Programs
The CITI Youth Program was first launched at Bushwick's Academy of Urban Planning in Fall '04 in partnership with the Brooklyn Center for the Urban Environment.
CITI Youth continues to partner with schools and youth groups across New York City including:
Bronx Helpers
Participating Communities:
In 2007, the CITI Youth Program will be implemented in the following communities:
Bronx Community District 1 (Mott Haven)
Bronx Community District 3 (Morrisania)
Bronx Community District 5 (Morris Heights)
Bronx Community District 9 (Soundview)
Brooklyn Community District 1 (Greenpoint & Williamsburg)
Brooklyn Community District 3 (Bedford Stuyvesant)
Brooklyn Community District 4 (Bushwick)
Brooklyn Community District 16 (Brownsville)
Manhattan Community District 3 (Lower East Side)
Manhattan Community District 10 (Harlem)
Queens Community District 1 (Long Island City)
Queens Community District 3 (Jackson Heights/E.Elmhurst)
Queens Community District 7 (Flushing)
Map Technician Application Form
Click here to download a Map Technician internship application form. The application file is in PDF format. If you do not have Adobe Acrobat Reader, you can download the latest version here.
Note: applicants must be a student at a New York City high school in TENTH grade or above.
*Contact us to find out how your school, teen or community board can get involved!